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NitroImg

5 min read
Updated May 16, 2026
Version 1.0.2
Beginner

NitroImg is the only WordPress image optimizer that works page by page instead of through the media library. Select specific posts or pages, see exactly which images will be converted and what it will cost, then convert — all from the posts list. One credit per image, non-destructive, with one-click rollback.

This guide covers installation, configuration, the conversion workflow, rollback, auto-convert, srcset handling, and credit pricing.

Requirements

  • WordPress 5.8 or later (tested up to 6.9)
  • PHP 7.4 or later
  • A NitroShock account with available credits
  • No PHP extensions required beyond WordPress defaults

Installation

  1. Go to Plugins → Add New Plugin → Upload Plugin
  2. Choose nitroimg.zip and click Install Now
  3. Click Activate Plugin
  4. Go to Settings → NitroImg and enter your NitroShock license key

Alternatively, unzip the file and upload the nitroimg/ folder to /wp-content/plugins/ via FTP, then activate from the Plugins screen.

Settings

All settings are under Settings → NitroImg. The page is organized into two cards: License and Conversion.

License Key

Enter your NitroShock license key to activate image conversion credits. The key is stored securely and masked after saving. A green "Active" indicator appears when a valid key is saved. You can get a key by signing up at nitroshock.ai.

WebP Quality

Controls the output quality of converted WebP images. Accepts values from 1 to 100. The default of 82 is optimal for most images — it produces significant file size savings while maintaining visual fidelity that's indistinguishable from the original in normal viewing conditions.

Lower values (60–75) produce smaller files with visible compression artifacts. Higher values (90–100) produce larger files with minimal quality difference from the original. For photography-heavy sites, 85–90 is a reasonable choice. For UI screenshots and graphics with sharp edges, 82 works well.

Skip Images Smaller Than

Images below this file size threshold are excluded from conversion. The default is 10,240 bytes (10 KB). Tiny images like icons, spacers, and 1×1 tracking pixels don't benefit from WebP conversion and aren't worth spending credits on. Set to 0 to disable the threshold and convert everything.

Auto-Convert New Uploads

When enabled, every newly uploaded JPEG or PNG image is automatically converted to WebP immediately after upload. This includes all WordPress-generated thumbnail sizes and any custom sizes registered by your theme. Uses 1–3 credits per upload depending on file size. If credits run out or the API is unreachable, the upload proceeds normally — auto-convert never blocks or fails an upload.

How It Works

NitroImg's workflow is page-based rather than media-library-based. Instead of converting your entire image library (which wastes credits on images that may never be displayed), you convert only the images actually used on specific posts and pages.

The Conversion Flow

  1. Go to Posts → All Posts or Pages → All Pages
  2. Hover over any post and click Convert Images in the row actions
  3. The modal opens and scans the page for all images (content images, featured image, WooCommerce gallery images)
  4. A summary shows: total images found, images to convert, estimated credit cost, and your current credit balance
  5. Review the image list — uncheck any you want to skip
  6. Click Convert
  7. Watch the progress bar as each image is processed
  8. Done. All converted images now serve as WebP automatically.

Bulk Conversion

Select multiple posts or pages using the checkboxes in the list table, then choose Convert Images from the Bulk Actions dropdown. The modal scans all selected pages together and shows the combined image count and credit estimate. This is efficient for converting an entire section of your site at once.

What Gets Scanned

The scanner finds images from all of these sources on each page:

  • Images in the post content (Gutenberg blocks, Classic Editor, raw HTML)
  • Featured images (post thumbnails)
  • WooCommerce product gallery images
  • All registered thumbnail sizes for each image (including custom sizes from your theme)

Images that are already converted to WebP, or that fall below the minimum size threshold, are automatically excluded from the conversion count.

How Conversion Works

When you click Convert, NitroImg processes each image through the following steps:

  1. The original full-resolution image is sent to the NitroShock API via an HMAC-signed request
  2. The API generates WebP versions at all registered thumbnail sizes from the original high-res file (not from WordPress's pre-downscaled thumbnails — this produces better quality)
  3. WebP files are saved alongside the originals in the same upload directory
  4. Image URLs in the post content are replaced with the WebP URLs
  5. Conversion metadata is stored on the attachment for rollback and status tracking
  6. Credits are deducted from your NitroShock balance

The URL replacement is a clean, direct swap — no .htaccess rewrite rules, no <picture> tag wrappers, no JavaScript lazy-loading. The WebP URL replaces the original URL in post_content and the srcset filter handles responsive image delivery.

Srcset and Responsive Images

NitroImg hooks into WordPress's wp_calculate_image_srcset filter so converted attachments automatically serve WebP URLs in all responsive image contexts. This means:

  • Frontend srcset attributes use WebP URLs for all converted sizes
  • The REST API returns WebP URLs for converted attachments
  • The Block Editor shows WebP versions in the editor preview
  • The Media Library displays the WebP status

No configuration needed. The filter has zero overhead for unconverted images — it only activates for attachments that have conversion metadata.

Rollback

NitroImg is fully non-destructive. Original JPEG/PNG files are never deleted. You can revert any converted image back to its original format:

  • Per-image rollback — restores the original URL in all posts that reference the image and clears the conversion metadata
  • Per-post rollback — reverts all converted images on a specific post
  • WebP files can optionally be deleted from disk during rollback, or kept for potential future use

After rollback, the image serves in its original format exactly as it did before conversion. No credits are refunded for rolled-back images.

Posts List Integration

NitroImg adds several features to the Posts and Pages list screens:

Row Action

A Convert Images link appears in the row actions (hover menu) for every post and page. Click it to open the conversion modal for that specific page.

Bulk Action

The Convert Images option in the Bulk Actions dropdown lets you process multiple pages at once. Select the posts you want, choose the action, and the modal scans all of them together.

Status Column

A WebP column shows the conversion status for each post — how many images are converted versus how many are present on the page. This gives you a quick visual overview of which pages have been optimized.

Credit Pricing

Credits are charged per original image, not per thumbnail size. A single image with 7 WordPress-generated sizes still costs just 1 credit.

  • 1 credit — images up to 2 MB
  • 2 credits — images 2–10 MB
  • 3 credits — images over 10 MB

The conversion modal always shows the exact credit cost before you commit. If you don't have enough credits, a warning appears with a link to purchase more at nitroshock.ai/pricing.

Free Trial

Your first image conversion is completely free — no credit card required. This lets you test the quality and workflow before purchasing credits.

WooCommerce

NitroImg automatically detects WooCommerce product gallery images in addition to featured images and content images. When you click Convert Images on a product page, the scanner finds all gallery images attached to that product. Conversion and rollback work identically to regular posts.

What Happens on Deactivation

If you deactivate NitroImg, converted WebP files remain on disk and the updated URLs in your post content continue to work — your images keep serving as WebP. The srcset filter stops running, so responsive images fall back to WordPress's default behavior (which still serves the WebP URLs stored in post content).

If you delete the plugin entirely, all NitroImg metadata is removed from the database, but converted WebP files are preserved on disk. To fully revert to original images before deleting, use the rollback feature on each post first.

Changelog

v1.0.2

  • Added styled settings page with banner and Nitroshock branding
  • Fixed version constant mismatch
  • Added tested fallback in updater to prevent "not tested with your version" warning

v1.0.1

  • Auto-convert on upload — optionally convert new JPEG/PNG uploads automatically
  • Improved error handling for API timeouts

v1.0.0

  • Initial release
  • Page-based image scanning (Gutenberg, Classic Editor, Featured Images, WooCommerce galleries)
  • One-credit-per-image WebP conversion via NitroShock API
  • HMAC-signed API requests
  • Row action and bulk action on Posts/Pages list
  • Progress modal with per-image status and savings display
  • Credit balance display with insufficient-credits warning
  • One free conversion trial
  • Srcset filter for responsive image delivery
  • Per-image and per-post rollback
  • Configurable quality and minimum file size threshold
  • Self-hosted automatic updates

FAQ

How many credits does it cost per image?

One credit for images up to 2 MB, two credits for 2–10 MB, three credits for images over 10 MB. Credits are charged per original image — not per thumbnail size. An image with 7 WordPress sizes costs 1 credit.

Can I try it before buying credits?

Yes. Your first image conversion is completely free — no credit card required.

Are my original images deleted?

No. NitroImg is non-destructive. Original JPEG/PNG files remain on disk. WebP versions are saved alongside them. You can roll back any image at any time.

Does it work with WooCommerce?

Yes. NitroImg scans featured images, in-content images, and WooCommerce product gallery images.

Does it handle responsive images (srcset)?

Yes. NitroImg filters WordPress's srcset output at render time so all thumbnail sizes serve the WebP version automatically. No configuration needed.

What happens if I run out of credits mid-conversion?

The conversion stops at the current image and reports the partial result. Images already converted stay converted. You can purchase more credits and resume by clicking Convert Images again — already-converted images are skipped.

Does it work with page builders?

Yes. NitroImg scans the saved post_content for image references, which works with Gutenberg, Classic Editor, Oxygen Builder, Elementor, and any builder that stores content in the standard WordPress content field.

How does the plugin update?

Updates are delivered directly from NitroShock. You'll see update notifications in your WordPress dashboard just like any other plugin. Click "update now" to install.

Is it GDPR-friendly?

NitroImg sends images to the NitroShock API for conversion. No visitor data, cookies, or tracking is involved. The API processes images and returns the WebP versions — no image data is retained on NitroShock servers after conversion completes.

Why page-based instead of media library?

Most WordPress sites have hundreds or thousands of images in the media library, but only a fraction are actively displayed on published pages. Page-based conversion lets you optimize only what matters — the images visitors actually see — without wasting credits on unused uploads, draft content, or orphaned media.

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